Fast learners could become heavy drinkers, study shows

Quick learners may become big drinkers, according to a study of rats reported today by scientists in Canada.

Scientists at Concordia University in Montreal, investigating genes and behaviour, found that rats able to quickly learn how to navigate a maze also drank the most alcohol.

They believe the findings support the idea that behavioural traits could be a risk factor for heavy drinking in humans.

One such trait may be learning ability. Quick-learning rats may rapidly link the smell and taste of alcohol to its feel-good effect.

Brian Smith, who led the research, said improved learning skills might also be one factor that causes a minority of people to drink too much, leading to alcoholism. However, he admitted that drunken rats could only hint at useful answers.

"Rat models are not going to approach the totality of the human experience," he told New Scientist magazine. "But they do allow you to isolate specific aspects of behaviour, and that might tell you where to look in people."

The team of scientists monitored 60 male rats as they learned to negotiate a maze to find a reward of honey-flavoured rice treats.

Each animal had a daily trial for 19 days, with performance scored for speed and accuracy. The researchers then measured the amount of alcohol the rats drank voluntarily over five days. The quickest learners were among the rats that drank the most alcohol. Animals which drank little alcohol, possibly because they disliked the taste, were not as good as negotiating the maze.